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The Best Pool Halls In Dallas

August 9, 2012 3:00 AM

If you’re looking to get out for a place to shoot a game of pool, there are hundreds of places across the metroplex to choose from. But it you want a place that has a little character–a place where you’re valued as a customer and where the game is treated with the degree of respect it so rightly deserves–well, then the list gets a little shorter. Whether you’re a serious shark or a newcomer that needs a bridge for an across the table shot, we think these are the best pool halls in the area to rack ‘em up.

In the 1800s, Jake Schaefer Sr. was known as the greatest pool player in the world. According to legend, billiards enthusiast Bat Masterson watched Schaefer play and proclaimed him a “wizard.” Like Schaefer, the guys at Wizard’s Sports Café know their game. There are 12 tables to choose from, most of them in pretty good repair, and shuffleboards and darts for non-pool enthusiasts. The waitresses are scantily dressed in short skirts and knee-high stockings and do their best to keep drinks flowing to the tables. There’s live music a couple of times a week, which ensures a good crowd during nights and weekends.

(photo credit: Thinkstock)

CK Billiards
9247 Skillman St., # 105
Dallas, TX 75243
(214) 343-2184

CK Billiards now inhabits the space on Skillman that used to be known as Click’s Billiards. It’s no longer a chain, but that’s probably a good thing. The service is still personal and the drinks are cold and cheap. CK has 15 tables to choose from, darts, a Golden Tee game, and karaoke on Fridays. Plus if you’re in the service industry—bartenders, waitresses, and hair stylists—you get free games of pool every day except Saturday and Sunday. Just bring in your latest pay stub for verification.

“Not just another pool hall,” screams the quote on The Billiard Den’s web site. And baby, they mean it. With 23 tables to choose from—including five 9-footers and a 10-foot snooker table—the Den is a one-stop-shop for all lovers of the game. The bar also has ping pong tables, video games, poker and dartboards. There’s free pool on Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays, and also on Saturday with a two drink minimum. Armchair sports fans can rent out the “man cave,” which, with its many couches and a large screen TV, is the perfect place to take in the next big game.

If you’re a newcomer to the game of pool, take this advice, Hawley’s may not be the best place to shoot a casual game of pool. The devoted group of locals that come here are serious about what they’re doing. The tables and sticks are in good shape, but the place feels a bit dated. But what Hawley’s lacks in appearance, it makes up for in spirit. The staff is friendly and the drinks are cheap, plus there’s a Hawley’s Billiard’s Showroom next door where you can find good deals on all your billiard and game room equipment.

Rack Daddy’s isn’t just a great pool hall; it’s an awesome sports bar as well. For starters, there are 18 Brunswick pool tables to choose from, which means you’ll never have to wait to play a game. But if you’re not in the mood for pool, you can catch the game on any of their numerous large screen TVs. Or challenge a friend to a board game, poker or a game of darts. And with its north Dallas location, it’s easy to get to from Richardson, Carrollton and Plano. Try them out on Mondays when the pool tables are free.

Unbeknownst to Robert Stahl, his body is an empty shell, telepathically controlled by a brain in a jar which was buried long ago under the floorboard of his home in Dallas. Consequently, he can’t explain why his days are filled with the urge to write: stories, letters, and articles, whatever. His work can be found at Examiner.com.